Beverage case



Oct. 14, 1952 1 o. c. COLES, JR 2,

BEVERAGE CASE},

Filed April 9, 1948 s SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR.

Otis O-.Coles,Jr.

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' ATTORNEY BEVERAGE CASE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1948 l l I I I I I ILZ FIG.6.

FIG.5.

INVENTOR.

Otis O. Coles ,Jr.

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LZMQ wffliz I ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 14, 1952 Q, c, O ES, JR 2,613,839

BEVERAGE CASE Filed April 9, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Otis C. Coles, Jr.

BY 2 5 w fi /Q ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 {UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Q 2,613,839 BEVERAGE cAsE Otis C. Coles Jr., Paso, Tex.

Application April 9, 1948,;S erial No. 19,965

, l 1 The present invention relates to beverage cases and is particularly well adapted for usein the storage and transportation of beverages put up in bottles. Such cases, sometimes called flats, usually each have cells for receiving two dozen bottles. v

In the past such cases have generally been made of wood, which is highly susceptible to damage and destruction, and in use the cases become unsightly, since paint, trade-marks and other indici-a applied to them wear off rapidly. This requires frequent repainting and res-tenciliing if the cases are to present good appearance. The principal objects of the invention are to increase the average life of cases of this general character, by rendering them more durable and sturdy; reduce fatigue in the handling of such cases by rendering the cases comparatively'light in weight; and reduce production and maintenance costs of the cases. I

These objects are in part accomplished by producing the outer shell of the case from sheet or molded material, such as metal or fiber,- which may be die cut, stamped with trade-mark and other indici-a, and crimped or molded in one operation. I

Another object is to provide cases of this character, the bottoms of which are provided with ribs so positioned as to cushion the bottoms of the bottles when they are being placed in the case, and during transportation, so that the bottles are not likely to 'bebroken =or chipped,'and to take up slack in the sheet or molded material and to give addition-a1 rigidity to the case.

A further object is to provide cases which may be freed of trash or foreign matter with comparative ease, and any damaged cell forming means within the case body, readily replaced when damaged. This is mainly accomplished by providing openings at the corners of the bottoms and sides of the cases, providing exits for trash and foreign matter, easily carried thru the openings by a flushing operation without thenecessity of tilting or inverting the cases and by providing cell forming means which may be readily snapped into place and easily removed, in contradistinctionto. cell forming means mortised or otherwise permanently secured in place. The open corners of the casealleviate damage by denting or breakage due to rough handling. I Otherobjects and. advantages will appear in the, following detailed description of two highly satisfactory forms of my invention, taken in connection'with the accompanying drawings, forming, a part of this specification and in whichdrawings:

3 Claims. (01. 220-21) Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in central vertical section of a case constructed according to the present invention, a portion of a suitablecell forming means being illustrated in elevation and in place within the case.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in top plan, and partly in horizontal section of the case, with a portion of the cell forming means shown in plan.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but looking toward the end of the case. I

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a suitable blank from which the body portion of the case may be made.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view on v the line 55 of Fig. 2;"

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the case looking toward the inside of one of the open or cut-away corners.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are views similar to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, respectively, showing a modified form of the invention. 7

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view on the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 8.

In'the drawings, and referring first to the form of invention shown in Figs. 1-6, inclusive, the case comprises a body portion l I, an upper reinforcing band l2, a lower reinforcing band l3 and a unitary cell forming means It.

The body portion l l comprises a generally rec,- tangular bottom l5 and side and end walls 16 and I'l respectively; This body portion may be formed from sheet material, such as metal, cut to form a blank l8 shown in Fig. 4 having preferred characteristics as hereinafter noted. The material may be of the color, or coated with colored material, or otherwise treated so that it is distinctive and may be readily recognized from the color as that adapted by the particular user to distinguish his brand of beverages from others. Trade-marks and other in-dicia, not shown in the drawings, may be economically impressed, or cut in the material during the same production stroke whereby the blank is struck from the sheet stock. In this way painting or decorating after manufacture is avoided.

Since it is common practice to provide cases or flats to receive twenty-four bottles arranged in four rows of six bottles each, the bottom is preferably elongated and generally rectangular in shape and preferably provided with four longitudinally extending upstruck, spaced, parallel ribs 20, each preferably of inverted V-shaped cross section, to provide a crown 2|, as shown in Fig. .2, 3 and 5, and merging at substantially triangular shaped ends 22, into the main body of the bottom short of the ends thereof as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. These ribs serve to cushion the bottoms of the bottles when they are being placed in the case and during transportation, since the case body may be made of material of such gauge as to yield slightly or have a limited amount of resiliency at the ribs when the bottles are dropped thereupon or vibrated during transportation. The ribs also take up slack in the sheet or molded material and give additional rigidity to the bottom as a whole; K I

The bottom I 5 is preferably provided with notches 23 at its corners thru which foreign material, such as trash, may be flushed or brushed,

and the side and end walls preferably extend from the bottom between the margins of the notches, as shown in Fig. 4, whereby openings 24 are provided at the corners of the case body portion, as shown in Figs. 3, '5 and 6. In this way damage by denting or breakage, due to rough;

handling, is alleviatedsince there are no rectangularbends of the body portion material at corners a The upper reinforcing, bandil2, may bemade from heavy wire or rod material, bent to generally rectangular, elongated formation, in the exampleshown. This applies also to the lower reinforcing band I3. In eifect, the corners are rounded as indicated at 25 .so that in handling the cases or flats, no sharpcorners or edges are presented at the upper portion of the case. v 'Each end wall I I has acut awayportion 26 intermediate its ends 2'! open tothe top of the wall, providing a pair of upstanding tongues 28, the upper margins of which are-curled over, in an inward direction, and aboutthe upper reinforcing band I2, as indicated at 29, to provide ahandhole 30 at each end wall beneath a run 3| of the reinforcing band, which latter serves as a handle for the case, Each wall- I! is also preferably provided with slits extending from and below the sides of the handhole 30 and the material between the slits is bent over to form a reinforcing flange 33.

The upper marginal portions of: the side walls Ifiare also curled over, in an inward direction, and. about the upper reinforcing band, I2, as indicated at 32. Thusthesecurled portions 29: and 32 form beading, at spaced; lengths about the upper margin of the case.

The lower reinforcing band I3- may also be made of heavy wire or rod material, and is disposed'at theinside of the body portion l I; at the juncture of thebottom I5 with the walls I6 and I1 and is preferably of generally rectangular elongated shape so as to reinforce the lower portion of the body II. The cornerportions are rounded as indicated at 34: and transverse the space between the ends of the walls I6. and IT. The reinforcingband maybe held in place by providing inverted U-shape cuts 35in the walls It and I! adjacenttheband, and the material within the bounds ofeachiofthesecuts is curled inwardly and around the band as indicatedat 36. In my copending application for patent on bottle openers for beverage cases, file'cl'April 9, 1948, Serial No. l9,967,' is shown, in detail, a suitable unitary cell forming means I4 particularly well adapted for use with the types of cases shown in the present application. Generally it comprises a plurality of coils of'wire 37 forming cells 38 in which bottles, notshown in the drawing, may be disposed. The coils may be connected in any suitable manner, such as by clips 39 embracing adjacent convolutionsof the coils. This arrangement provides a flexible or resilient 4 unit which may be slightly compressed vertically and horizontally so that it may be sprung into place resting upon the upper surface of the lower band I3, where it is spaced above the bottom I5, and beneath the upper band I2, in contact with the underside of the inwardly extending beading 29-32, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, detachably retaining the device in place in the hollow of the body portion II. v a By thus supporting and retaining ther resilient cell forming means in the case; the lower portion of the former does not contact the case bottom and foreign matter, such as bits of paper, match sticks and the like, may be more readily washed from the case without removing the cell forming means, and if necessary, the latter may be readily removed from the case without loosening any fastening devices.

. The ribs are disposed so that when the means I4 is in place the cells 38 thereof are substantially centered over the ribs, withtheadvantages hereinbefore set forth. I V

In the example shown in Figs. 7-10, inclusive, the body portion 40 may be substantially the same as in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, with the exception that the upper reinforcing band 4 I of this modification is slightly larger and the upper marginal portions of the side walls I6 and of the tongues 28are curled over, in an outward direce tion, about the upper reinforcing band M as indicated at 42 and 43, respectively and suitable means 44, carried bythe lower reinforcing band I3, is provided, detachably connecting the cell forming means I4 in the hollow of the-case. In the example shown, the means 4 4tmay comprise a plurality of clips, each comprising an arcuate or C-shaped portion 46 embracingthe band I3,

and'upstanding crimped arms 4'! carried by the portion 46 embracing a lower. portion ofthe cell forming means, shown more indetail inFigs. 9 and 10. Inthis way the cell forming-means I4 may beforced into position so as-to be supported upon-these clips and may be readilyremoved by exerting a slight pull upon the cell forming meansv since the upper reinforcing band-4| does not overlie the said means.

In each of the forms of cases herein disclosed the construction may be comparativelylightin weight; due to the use of sheet material for'the bottom and walls of the main body and heavy wire or rod stock for the reinforcing bands. The preferred construction is such that,.upon removal of the cell forming "means; the case bodies may be readily cleaned as by brushing or'flushing accumulated trashiand' foreign matter from the bottoms, suchfindings egress thrutthe notches 23 and/oropenings 24 atvcorners; Injury to persons: handling 'or' brushing against the cases is not apt to occur; since no sharp corners are presented and the cases are not likely to'be damagedieven the roughly handled since the-corner's ofithe reinforcing-bands a re' rounded and the's'ide walls as Well as the material'from which the bottom is made terminate at-spaced distances from what is usually the-corners offordinary cases orfiats". g f While I have herein disclosed two forms of cases particularly'well adapted for receiving bottles arranged as is common practice in a'plurality of rows with the bottles in any one rowan substantiallysideby side'rela-tion to those in any next adjacent row, certain features of the invention may be utilized in'th e production of cases or flats where the bottles. of" any row are in staggered relation to the bottles'of any next adjacent. row

as disclosed inmy copending application for patent on beverage cases filed concurrently here corners of the case body portion, the upper marginal portions of the side and end walls curled over and about the upper reinforcing band to form a beading at spaced lengths about the upper margins of the case, and the lower reinforcing band disposed at the inside of the body portion at the juncture of the bottom with said walls and spaced from the bases of said notches in the bottom, so that foreign matter may be flushed from the case thru said bottom notches, and with the corners of the upper and lower reinforcing bands, traversing the space between the ends of said walls at the corners of the case.

2. In a beverage case, the combination of a body portion comprising a generally rectangular bottom and side and end walls, an upper rectangular reinforcing band about which the upper mar ginal portions of said walls are curled over in an inward direction, and about the reinforcing band providing inwardly extending beading at the top 3. In a beverage case, the combination of a body I portion comprising a generally rectangular bottom and side and end walls integral with said bottom, an upper rectangular reinforcing band about which the upper marginal portions of said walls are curled over in an outward direction, and about the reinforcing band providing an outwardly extending beading at the top of the case, and a lower rectangular reinforcing band disposed at the inside of the case at the juncture between the bottom and said walls; a cell forming means in the hollow of the case above said lower reinforcing band and engaging the walls of said body portion; and means carried by said lower reinforcing band detachably connecting said cell forming means in the case.

I OTIS C. COLES, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 13,038 Klenk et a1. Nov. 9, 1909 786,298 Kruse Apr. 4, 1905 827,124 Speer July 31, 1906 868,895 Stephensen Oct. 22, 1907 872,998 Kruse Dec. 3, 1907 887,136 Sachurek May 12, 1908 1,234,730 Chapman July 31, 1917 1,801,076 Ganzer Apr. 14, 1931 1,801,943 Vance Apr. 21, 1931 1,816,238 Steele July 28, 1931 1,823,285 Petritsch" Sept. 15, 1931 2,065,804 Guyer Dec. 29, 1936 2,222,160 Walsh Nov. 19, 1940 2,243,625 Gettelman May 27, 1941. 2,350,723 Buttner June '6, 1944 2,360,218 Gavin Oct. 10, 1944 2,489,470 Ullrich Nov. 29, 1949 

